No response from Bihar, will bear fare for 3 trains ferrying migrants home: Delhi govt

The Delhi government will bear the cost of sending home stranded migrant workers from Bihar in three Shramik Special trains on Wednesday as the Nitish Kumar-led government hasn't yet responded to its request to pay for their tickets, an official said.

Each special train will carry around 1,200 migrant workers, according to the official.

This comes days after a war of words broke out between Delhi and Bihar governments over expenses incurred by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led dispensation to send around 1,200 migrant workers to Muzaffarpur on a Shramik Special train.

"The Delhi government will bear the cost of ferrying migrant workers as the Bihar government is yet to respond on the payment (for train tickets)," the official said.

The three special trains will leave for Bhagalpur, Barauni and Darbhanga in Bihar.

Last week, the AAP had said it bore the cost of ferrying migrant workers from Delhi to Bihar.

However, Bihar's ruling Janata Dal (United) rejected the claim.

It alleged the AAP was speaking "half-truth" on the issue as the Delhi government had sought from the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar dispensation a reimbursement of the train fare.

The JD(U) had also accused the AAP of resorting to "cheap politics to gain popularity".